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Tangled financial web emerges in fraud case against Kinde Durkee

March 28, 2012 | 1:42 p.m.

In defrauding at least 50 politicians and others of more than $7 million, campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee spun a tangled financial web to cover her business payroll and mortgage payments and try to stay ahead of investigators, while also paying for Disneyland tickets and other amenities, federal prosecutors allege.

Durkee is scheduled to appear in federal court this week to face five counts of mail fraud. Court papers filed Tuesday, which are typically submitted when a plea bargain is in the works, provide the most extensive details yet of an alleged scheme to take money from the campaigns of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, state Sen. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) and other politicians.

In one instance, Durkee took money from Feinstein’s account to cover $12,000 in payroll expenses for her bookkeeping company and to help make the $5,500 mortgage payment for her Burbank business, according to court documents filed by federal prosecutors.